Head Down Under and yap about bloody Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Determine the best place to buy a car, how to get a working holiday visa and the best route for travelling the east coast of Oz and around the Kiwi Islands.

So the idea (not a plan...yet) is to jet into Sydney and get a camping type vehicle. Then go to either Melbourne or Brisbane. Then back to Sydney.How much time should I allot?Is there a beach road I can follow all the way?Things I need to see on the way?Booties in either place?Which city should I choose?

Hi Semicolon, I'm in Melbourne so I can tell whatever you'd like to know. Brizzie is alright, but not much to do there. Driving Sydney to Melbs you can either go the inland route via the Hume Highway or the coastal route. Me - I'd opt for the coast. I'd allow at least a week in Melbourne and five or six days in Sydney - you could have a week there if you really wanted to.

You have to see the penguin parade at Philip Island. Every night the fairy penguins come ashore and you sit and watch them. It used to really great when I was a kiddie, because you'd go down there with a picnic rug, thermos and sandwiches, find a place on the beach and just sit and wait. Like everything these days, it's more touristy - built up seats, ramps, plus it isn't free any more. That's progress, but it is still a really great thing to see.

Something I'd recommend is drive the GOR - Great Ocean Road - it's the best coastal drive in Australia and on of the great drives of the world. Some pictures. Although it can be done as a day trip, you're best to do it over a few day. Apollo Bay would be a good base - there's the Great Otway N.P.including Mates Walk, Otway Lighthouse, Melba Gully, Triplet Falls, Otway Fly etc. and waterfalls. You could drive on to Port Camapbell and then backtrack to Lavers Hill.

When are you thinking of coming? Summer is December to February, but March is often one of the hottest months. School holiday start about 20th December and finish end of January/beginning February, so it will be peak season.

Things tend to be heavily booked over that time because everybody and his maiden aunt go "on holidays." If you're coming during that time, I'd organise a hire vehicle asap.

We'll have to meet up and I'll buy you a beer (or choice of drink. Fair dinkum.

There is so much more that you need to think about. Happy to give more info but you need to think about these things.

What time of year? Melbourne can get cold in the winter as can the coast road there. So you may want to start as far north as is practical.

Do you want to get a great understanding of Australian culture? It might take time to see a city like Sydney or Melbourne. Brisbane takes a couple of minutes. Just to hang out in a country town and chat to some locals at a pub can take a life time.

There are beach roads and inland highways.

Whats a bootie?

Choose Sydney because it is spectacular. THe harbour, the bridge, the opera house, lovely beaches lovely weather.

Choose Melbourne because of loads of great cafes and resteraunts, wonderful galleries, fabulous shopping and a interest in sport that defies description.

Another car rental place I've found out about is travellers auto barn. They have offices all over the country. As a Brisbanite, I'd agree that city wise, Melbourne has more to offer. But if you have the time, driving up the Queensland coast gets you to the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsundays. All time depending, of course. The weather is best there during the winter months.

The average Melbourne temp in August is around 7ÂºC - 14ÂºC, but it sometimes goes higher or lower. In late August there are some warmer days where the temp usually reaches 20ÂºC.

Not a whole lot of rain as we are still in drought. But July is our windiest month followed by August. All you really need is beanie, scarf, gloves and a wind-proof coat/parka. To people from Queensland, they reckon our weather "very" cold.

In January, average temp is around 25.5ÂºC with overnight temps around 21ÂºC, but we do have days where it gets up to 40ÂºC which is followed by a "cool change" with fresh south-easterly breezes. That's one thing good about Melbs - we always get a cool change.

We Melbournians do joke about how we have four seasons in one day - fair dinkum.Cheers.

Who is online

PLEASE NOTE: Your original BootsnAll Boards Member login still works by logging in below on the Boards.
We have a new BootsnAll Account that you will start seeing around the BootsnAll Travel Network. This new login is not yet linked to your current Boards Account. In the meantime, you will need to sign up (for a BootsnAll Account) to use Account features like Indie  , Traveler Profiles etc.